Director of Philanthropy

Reporting to the Secretary for Catholic Human Services, the Director of Philanthropy will be responsible for planning, developing, and implementing agency-wide strategies to secure financial support through major gifts and annual giving campaigns. The Director will work to build and maintain relationships with donors, foster a culture of philanthropy, and support the overall mission and goals of CHS, consistent with the values of the Catholic Church.

The Director of Philanthropy will lead the expansion and revitalization of its development program. As the organization undergoes a transformative period of rebranding and strategic renewal, the Director of Philanthropy will play a critical role in establishing a culture of philanthropy, fostering donor relationships, and securing the financial support necessary to advance the mission.

Strategic Leadership

• Provide vision, leadership, and strategic direction to the fundraising efforts of CHS in order to diversify and deepen donor support.
• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing development team.
• Collaborate with the leadership team to align fundraising goals with organizational priorities.
• Establish performance measures and monitor results. Provide regular readouts on fundraising progress, analyze results, and adjust strategies as needed to meet or exceed goals.
• Remain current with Catholic Human Services and Archdiocesan mission, priorities, policies, procedures, current legislation, and practice standards to ensure quality outcomes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Fundraising and Donor Engagement

• Develop and execute comprehensive fundraising plans to meet short- and long-term goals, including cost-per-dollar targets, in support of CHS’ programs and services.
• Identify, research, cultivate, and steward relationships with individual and major gift donors, foundations, and corporate partners. Manage a portfolio of donors and prospective donors with leadership gift targets. Maintain an active schedule for solicitation visits.
• Build and maintain long-term, meaningful relationships with supporters who are deeply connected to the mission.
• Evaluate the financial ability of potential and existing donors to make significant contributions.
• Work with donors to establish and grow planned gifts, endowments, and other forms of legacy giving.
• Work with Marketing to develop successful annual giving campaigns for all internal clients to meet annual fund goals.
• Plan and coordinate fundraising events, ensuring alignment with the mission of CHS, including galas, donor recognition events, and community outreach initiatives.
• Draft donor communication materials in collaboration with Marketing, including proposals, presentations, and annual reports, and promote CHS’ mission through various communication channels.

Institutional Giving

• Develop and manage a portfolio of corporate and foundation partners.
• Identify and assist in preparing grant applications and ensure proper reporting and follow-up with funders.
• Align proposals with programmatic needs and strategic initiatives.

Board & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with the Secretary for Catholic Human Services, Marketing, individual ministries of CHS, Office of Stewardship and Development of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Board of Directors, and other departments to advance the organization’s development efforts and create cohesive strategies around fundraising and philanthropy.
• Partner with the Board of Directors to enhance fundraising efforts.
• Articulate the priorities, procedures, and policies of CHS and the organizations under its umbrella to various audiences and respond to the needs of individuals, families, communities, funders, and investors.
• Provide services to a diverse community, with sensitivity to the cultural norms, traditions, preferences, etc. of consumers and other stakeholders.

Team & Cross Functional Collaboration

• Lead and grow a development team with a collaborative and empowering approach.
• Treat all consumers/clients/participants, staff, volunteers, visitors, and community partners with dignity and respect.
• Attend meetings, trainings, and events, as needed/assigned, to facilitate communication, collaboration, and overall quality of service.

The Director of Philanthropy must have an understanding of and passion for the goals and mission of Catholic Human Services. The ideal candidate is an experienced development professional who thrives in environments of change, brings strategic insight, and is passionate about making a tangible difference in the lives of vulnerable individuals and communities. The Director of Philanthropy will be a visionary, compassionate, and collaborative leader, and outstanding communicator who clarifies goals, builds teams, and cultivates trust while at the same time demanding accountability.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in fundraising, development, or philanthropy. This includes experience in major gift solicitation, annual giving, donor stewardship, and strategic planning.
• Experience working in a Catholic setting or with faith-based organizations is highly preferred.
• Proven ability to develop and grow relationships with large-scale donors and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in securing seven- and eight-figure gifts.
• Experience in fundraising campaigns, grant writing, and planned giving.
• Ability to work with a Board of Directors, senior church leaders, and community stakeholders.
• Goal-oriented strategist with a growth mindset who can create and execute new giving opportunities to expand financial resources.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to express, orally and in writing, the mission, vision, and goals with clarity, passion, and persuasion.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Excellent public speaking skills complemented by a demonstrated ability to interact in a social setting with ease and grace.
• Fluency with fundraising database systems. Knowledge of NXT/Raiser’s Edge and/or Salesforce, DonorPerfect, Boomerang, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Self-confidence, humility, integrity, warmth, and a flexible personal style.
• Demonstrate a deep commitment to Catholic values and an understanding of the social teachings of the Catholic Church. Practicing Catholic preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields such as Nonprofit Management, Communications, or Business Administration. Advanced degrees or certifications in fundraising (CFRE) are a plus.
• Willing and able to travel locally and attend evening and weekend events and meetings with potential donors.

Catholic Human Services (CHS) is dedicated to serving men, women, and children in need across the Philadelphia region. CHS is guided by the Catholic faith to empower and uplift Philadelphia area neighbors with compassionate care and essential services by:

• Nourishing the hungry and sheltering those experiencing homelessness
• Strengthening and supporting at-risk children, youth, and families
• Stabilizing and enriching the lives of seniors
• Empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For additional information, please visit Catholic Human Services website at https://cssphiladelphia.org/.

Catholic Social Services is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applications without regards to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

As a religious organization, Catholic Social Services is also bound by Canon Law and Catholic teachings. For this reason, there may be occasions when an employee’s failure to adhere to the truths of the Catholic faith are a factor in employment-related decisions. In the event an employee fails to adhere to, or takes a position publicly that is contrary to, Catholic doctrine and teachings, or any policy or procedure maintained by the Archdiocese, the employee may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and its entities are Roman Catholic religious organizations, and their employees are expected to respect and conduct themselves in accordance with the values, teachings, and moral of the Roman Catholic Church.

Employment practices will not be influenced by an individual’s legally protected status, or any other basis as may be required by local, state and/or federal law as those laws apply to the Archdiocese.

Catholic Social Services offers a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience and education.